When you hear the term "human trafficking", you may think of victims in Asia or Africa. But that's because of a lack of awareness about the scope of the problem, according to the head of a local group.
Renee Minarik is chair of the Rochester Regional Coalition Against Human Trafficking. She says there are local victims of this 32-billion dollar criminal industry.
She says they're women, men, and children. And they fall prey to traffickers who exploit their vulnerability. "Typically, people are desperate for something, whether it's attention, someone to love them, money. They get identified. These traffickers are very canny. They are very good at picking up when someone has a weakness or a need."
The Coalition is sponsoring an event at The Little Theater tonight to raise awareness about the issue.
A portion of a documentary will be shown, and internationally-known anti-trafficking expert Matt Friedman will be introducing a new campaign to raise young people's awareness.
The event is free and starts at 7.
